Don't Wait Write the Bio Now

Don't Wait…Write That Biography Now!
Eight Tips to Capture the Life Story of You or Your Loved Ones
By
Mike Brozda

No one expected it.

While climbing into his hot tub, my healthy, hearty, 87 year-old father-in-law slipped, fell, and broke a rib. He began internal bleeding that the doctors couldn't stop. In two weeks, Gene was gone.

Fortunately, we had taken time a few months earlier to record Gene's life story, and discovered some amazing facts. He was a semi-pro baseball player, a fine watercolorist, and a US Marine. As a marketing executive for Kaiser and later Del Monte, he worked on national advertising campaigns with the stars of his day, including Joan Crawford, Debbie Reynolds, Stan Musial, Lloyd Bridges and others.

We recorded Gene's life story on two occasions: once at a small family dinner, then during a living-room interview a few months later.

We transcribed the audio files of our recordings, added our pictures, and uploaded the whole package to this web site, www.GreatLifeStories.com. My family and Gene's friends and acquaintances can view his story and add comments or photos if they wish.

We created a celebration of Gene's life with his help and it was a pivotal connection with my wife, her sisters, and their children. What we discovered was that anyone can create a life story for themselves or a loved one. It's as simple as setting aside some time and doing some careful listening.

I've captured the biographies of hundreds of seniors all across America. Sometimes we've had the luxury of sitting for uninterrupted hours. Other times, I've had scant minutes to rough out a life story that encompasses most of the twentieth century. If your time is limited, here are my top eight tips for getting the most of every precious minute.

  1. Start now
    Even if it is just five or ten minutes a day, set aside a quiet time and place to listen to the elder in your life. You may find that it turns out to be the high point in both your days
  2. Organize your tools
    Whether a simple pen and pad of paper, a computer, a tape recorder or video recorder, the most important thing is that the equipment is comfortable and familiar for your use.
  3. Prepare a few questions in advance
    You don't need many. Here's my all time winning question: "tell me what it was like when you were growing up as a small boy or girl."
  4. Use props
    If possible bring out the photo albums and family mementoes. They're great memory aids
  5. Practice time management
    If you have the flexibility, break up interviews into manageable chunks of time. The very elderly may lose focus and concentration if interviews run too long.
  6. When talking about the early years, "let the tape recorder run"
    Early in my career as a biographer, I used to sometimes worry that interviewees would spend too much time talking about their childhood, youth, school days and adolescence. I soon discovered that these are often the most critical times in a person's life; the times and experiences that forged their personality and character.
  7. Be sensitive
    Sometimes stories may evoke painful memories. If a senior doesn't want to talk about something, don't push them. I have found this is the case with some WWII veterans, in particular.
  8. Ask the paydirt question
    At the end of each interview I always ask this open-ended question: "Is there anything I haven't asked about that you'd like to tell me?" It doesn't happen always, but I've frequently been amazed at the tales that pour forth.

Savor the moment. Capturing a life story is like being transported in a time machine back to a different era. Enjoy the journey.

Mike Brozda is the author of more than 1000 published articles in regional, national and international publications, and the co-founder of www.GreatLifeStories.com. You can contact Mike at mike.brozda@greatlifestories.com